


The Boy Behind the Counter

by WaywardFairchild



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-16
Packaged: 2021-03-05 21:13:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,407
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25941907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WaywardFairchild/pseuds/WaywardFairchild
Summary: Harley Keener gets coffee for Tony and Bruce every day at the same coffee shop that Peter works at.
Relationships: Harley Keener/Peter Parker
Comments: 8
Kudos: 156
Collections: Parkner Coffee Shop Collection





	The Boy Behind the Counter

Peter worked behind the counter ever single afternoon of the coffee shop that Harley Keener frequently went to. He had to get coffee for his boss but he always enjoyed talking to Peter. The other boy was a senior at NYU and was working on a degree in biology. Harley was trying to get up the nerve to ask him out but every time he failed by the end of his visit. Harley didn’t know why he couldn’t ask Peter out but he wanted to so bad. He had tried a few times but his tongue always got twisted and he couldn’t say what he actually wanted to say. 

“What do I do?” Harley asked Tony.

“Just ask this guy out and stop asking me,” Tony told the boy. Harley huffed but figured he would be able to tell Peter eventually how he felt. 

~

Peter Parker had a crush on one of his regulars. Everyone at the coffee shop knew and so did his best friend. MJ told him to take the chance but he was scared. This guy was someone who was way out of his league. He was an MIT grad and he was working at Stark Industries. Peter hadn’t been in Stark Industries since his fall out with the Avengers a while ago. He had been regretting what he said but he knew he wasn’t allowed back. He had told them to let him be and they were listening. He was 21 almost 22 now so it made sense that they were finally listening. He knew he could call them for help but he didn’t need their help. His new spider squad was all the help he needed. Once he graduated he would find a job that wasn’t SI so Tony couldn’t hold that over him as well. Harley had Peter’s life right now. The nice job the degree from the college he had wanted to go to until he had to go to NYU because without Tony’s support he couldn’t go to MIT. These thoughts were interrupted by the clearing of a throat.

“You seem to be in your mind today,” Harley said.

“Just wondering where I would be if I choose to go down an easier path,” Peter said.

“How bad would it have been?” Harley asked.

“I would probably be in Massachusetts right now,” Peter said.

“I’m kinda glad you didn’t choose that path. I wouldn’t have met you if you were there,” Harley said.

“Or we could have met when I was at MIT,” Peter said. Harley looked at him confused.

“You wanted to go to MIT?” Harley asked.

“Yeah, but I couldn’t afford it so I stayed instate when I went to college. Took on this job to pay whatever expenses I need to pay,” Peter said. 

“I’m sorry you didn’t end up at the college of your choice,” Harley said. 

“I’m not,” Peter said. “The choice I would have made would have caused me to have to give up so much more,” Peter said.

“What was the choice?” Harley asked. 

“My at the time boss told me that I had to follow his rules or lose the internship which would have paid for my college. I didn’t agree with how I was being treated so I left,” Peter said. “I was seventeen at the time and I figured that he would respect that I was almost an adult.” 

“Maybe he was just looking out for you?” Harley suggested.

“He was treating me like I was the same fourteen-year-old kid that I was when I started working for him,” Peter said.

“My boss did the same thing to me when I started working for him. I told him off and he backed off immediately. Except when we met I was ten at the time,” Harley said. Peter nodded as he wrote his number on one of the cups hoping it was Harley’s order with the words called me before handing Harley his order. Harley left with a smile as he walked out of the cafe.

~

Harley handed out coffees before he got back to Tony and handed him his. Tony went to take a sip and stopped before laughing. 

“What so funny?” Harley asked.

“Was it the boy you like at the counter today?” Tony asked. Harley nodded. Tony wrote something on a paper and handed it to Harley. It was a number with the words call me under them. Harley entered the number and texted Peter.

Harley: my boss is making fun of me now because you wrote your number on his drink

Peter: Sorry I had to guess which one was your order and there were two black coffee orders

Harley: it’s good. 

Harley: He won’t let me live it down though

Peter: Sorry about that

Harley: so can I take you out sometime?

Peter: as long as you don’t take me to a cafe

Peter: I can’t stand coffee

Harley smiled at that. It was such a Peter thing to dislike coffee but work at a coffee shop. Harley pocked his phone as he went back to work. Tony decided it was time to talk to someone.

~

Peter was not expecting Tony Stark to walk into the cafe. MJ looked at him as Peter watched the man come up to the counter.

“Parker,” Tony said.

“Mr. Stark,” Peter said. “What can I get you today?” 

“A black coffee but leave your number off it this time,” Tony said. Peter froze. He only gave one person his number and that was Harley. 

“Harley works for you,” Peter said.

“You would be too if you just talked to me about whatever was bugging you,” Tony said.

“I rather not talk about this here,” Peter said. Tony went to say something but MJ looked at Peter.

“Take a fifteen-minute break,” she said. Peter nodded as he went around the counter and sat at a table. Tony joined him.

“Why did you quit the Avengers and Stark Industries?” Tony asked.

“I was tired of being treated like a child and whenever it got brought up everyone said I was still a child. I was seventeen though,” Peter said. 

“I understand that you were seventeen but Underoos, you weren’t a legal adult yet,” Tony said.

“You could have tried to give me a little more freedom,” Peter said.

“I should have,” Tony said. Peter was surprised. “I should have come to you when you left and figured out what was really wrong.”

“I have to head back over for my shift,” Peter mumbled. Tony pulled out a business card for Pepper. Peter looked at Tony as if he could explain everything.

“If you need a job that if better then this, Pepper can get you something at SI or, she is an amazing reference that will get you the jobs you want pretty quickly,” Tony said before getting up and leaving Peter holding on to something very important. A second chance in away. 

~

Harley came in to order coffees a week later to see Michelle working but Peter nowhere in sight. Harley looked at her confused.

“He quit yesterday. Got some job somewhere else. He is working in some lab now,” MJ said as she got Harley’s coffee order before he left to pass out the coffees to the upper-level labs. He stopped at Banner’s lab to see Peter talking with Banner about something they were working on.

“I didn’t know you had an intern or I would have picked him up something,” Harley said.

“Peter doesn’t drink coffee,” Banner said before he turned to Peter. “How about we hold off on trying to recreate this and focus on the project Tony sent us?” Peter nodded as Harley left. Later when he was leaving he saw Peter again.

“How did you get an internship under Bruce Banner?” Harley asked.

“My ex-boss came in and handed me a business card for Pepper Potts and next thing I know she is offering me a job under Banner,” Peter said with a smile. 

“I guess I won’t be seeing you at the coffee shop anymore,” Harley said.

“You could see me at dinner on Friday?” Peter said. Harley smiled and agreed as the two boys walked out of Stark Tower heading to their homes. Harley knew with Peter working for Banner that he would see a lot more of Peter. More than his usual trip to a coffee shop where he meets the boy. 

**Author's Note:**

> The discord behind the parkner: https://discord.gg/udFM7MYvBB


End file.
